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JUNE 2020 | WWW.THE-SCIENTIST.COM
LEFT-HANDED DNA
AS DYNAMIC CODE
SIDE GIGS FOR
ANCIENT ENZYMES
WHEN YOUR
SUPERVISOR CHEATS
PLUS
THE 1957
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC
BABIES AMASS MICROBES THAT CAN
PAVE THE WAY TO A HEALTHY LIFE
AN INFANT’S
BOUNTY
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Contents
Features
JUNE 2020
THE SCIENTIST
THE-SCIENTIST.COM
VOLUME 34 NUMBER 06
38
Baby’s Microbial Garden
The gut microbiome is particularly
malleable in the first two years after
birth, allowing probiotics to make
their mark. Can we exploit this to
improve infants’ health?
BY JENNIFER T. SMILOWITZ
AND DIANA HAZARD-TAFT
32
DNA's Secret Code
Once considered an unimportant
curiosity, left-handed DNA is now
recognized as part of a dynamic genetic
system that regulates how an RNA
transcript is edited.
BY RACHEL BRAZIL
24
Old Enzymes Learn New Tricks
Crucial protein synthesis enzymes have
evolved additional roles in angiogenesis,
fat metabolism, and more.
BY AMBER DANCE
ON THE COVER: MODIFIED FROM: © ISTOCK.COM, HOMUNKULUS28; © ISTOCK.COM, TATIANA VASILYEVA
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The ID7000 is configurable with up to 7 lasers
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© 2020 Sony Biotechnology Inc. All rights reserved. Sony, the Sony logo, and ID7000 are trademarks of Sony Corporation. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic
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06.2020 | THE SCIENTIST
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Department Contents
JUNE 2020
11
FROM THE EDITOR
Armchair Scientists
Humility is key when thinking
about and reacting to complex,
unfamiliar situations.
BY BOB GRANT
14 NOTEBOOK
Confounding Factor; Listening in
on the Birds; Between the Legs;
Stool Standards
23 MODUS OPERANDI
Vaccines on Film
A novel preparation technique
could facilitate vaccine preservation,
transportation, and administration.
BY RUTH WILLIAMS
46 THE LITERATURE
Cell-saving exosomes released
during bacterial infection; a
connection between the gut
microbiome and humans'
social lives; wing development
in male pea aphids
48 PROFILE
The Father of Autoimmunity
By revealing that animals
could develop immune
responses against their
own tissues, Noel Rose
established an entirely
new scientific field.
BY DIANA KWON
51
SCIENTIST TO WATCH
Janelle Ayres: Immunity Pioneer
BY AMY SCHLEUNES
54 CAREERS
The Ripple Effects of Misconduct
What happens to the students
and early-career collaborators
of a senior investigator accused
of scientific malpractice?
BY KATARINA ZIMMER
58 READING FRAMES
Revolutionary Repurposing
Evolution needn’t make improbable
leaps to facilitate transitions into
uncharted biological territory.
Adapting new uses for existing
structures works just fine.
BY NEIL SHUBIN
60 FOUNDATIONS
Confronting a Pandemic, 1957
BY CATHERINE OFFORD
IN EVERY ISSUE
10
CONTRIBUTORS
12
SPEAKING OF SCIENCE
59 THE GUIDE
23
14
51
PUZZLE ON PAGE 12
L O C H N E S S
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S P E A R M I N T
L D L
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T H E F L Y
J O U L E S
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K O I
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K O C H
P R O T O Z O A
CORRECTION:
In the May profile "Unravelling Memory’s Mysteries," Elizabeth Buffalo
began looking for jobs five years into her postdoc, not eight years, as
originally reported. The Scientist regrets the error.
6
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Online Contents
AS ALWAYS, FIND BREAKING NEWS EVERY DAY ON OUR WEBSITE.
© ISTOCK.COM, NADIA_BORMOTOVA
Coming in the July/August issue
• Social isolation has many effects on cognitive health.
Researchers are just beginning to piece together the mechanisms.
• Predicting the future of the ongoing pandemic depends on R0,
the mathematical term that estimates how infectious the virus is.
But R0 has its limitations.
• The pharma industry pivots to respond to COVID-19.
• CD8+ T cells in tumors could be key to making immunotherapies
work for more patients.
AND MUCH MORE
VIDEO
The Other DNA
See a 3-D model of Z-DNA, the subject
of a feature article in this month’s issue.
VIDEO
Mother Knows Best
Neonatologist and epidemiologist
Juliette Madan discusses her
work investigating the effects
of the infant microbiome on babies’
health outcomes.
VIDEO
Early Warning
Watch this month’s Scientist to Watch,
Janelle Ayers, discuss the microbiome’s
role in battling infectious disease.
THIS MONTH AT THE-SCIENTIST.COM:
JUNE 2020
Online Contents
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NG108-15 cell cultures taken using an Olympus 20X objective
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EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Bob Grant
